Chapter One: Perplexity

  Bao'an Town is located in the northwest of Daye County, about 40 miles away from Daye County. In order to investigate the whereabouts of these bandits, Xing and Gao Hua yuan discussed and decided to make Bao'an Town their first stop.

  In order not to alarm the enemy, he listened to Gao Huaiyuan's opinion this time. Everyone disguised themselves as ordinary civilians or small vendors and set out in different directions, gathering information along the way while advancing towards Bao'an Town.

  Gao Huaiyuan still wore his usual attire, with Xue Yan by his side. He didn't look like a rich young master, but rather the son of a merchant who purchased goods. Recently, Gao Huaiyuan had been dressed in this manner, buying animal fat and other materials for making soap in the nearby areas. This attire wasn't intentionally disguised, yet it made him appear even more genuine. After all, he wasn't a hunter, and after arriving here, he kept a low profile, rarely going out or strolling around without purpose. Only a few people knew him. On the other hand, Xing, the captain of the hunters, was dressed as a butcher who sold meat, and when walking with Gao Huaiyuan, they seemed to be two business partners on an outing together.

  This is his past life experience. To investigate and solve a case, wearing a uniform can't find any good clues. Disguise investigation is the basic skill.

  Xue Yan followed Gao Huaiyuan because when Gao Huaiyuan set out, Xue Yan silently and resolutely followed him. No matter how much Gao Huaiyuan scolded him, he didn't retort or respond, leaving Gao Huaiyuan helpless. He had to let Xue Yan follow him, but deep down, he was moved, knowing that Xue Yan was worried about his safety. Later, thinking back, Xue Yan used to be in this line of work too, so maybe he could still help this time. So Gao Huaiyuan didn't force him to stay at the old mansion anymore. Now, with no tiger in the mountain, the monkey became the king, and Huang Yan, the clever monkey, became the master of the Gao family's old mansion, able to do as he pleased for a few days.

  As for those young men, Gao Huaiyu certainly couldn't let them come to Bao'an Town fully armed, carrying guns, wearing knives and bows and arrows. Before setting off, he had them put all their weapons in their own cars, and they all changed into tattered clothes, disguising themselves as vagrant youths, traveling in groups of three or five, splitting up after arriving at Bao'an Town, gathering at the Land Temple in the east of the town, and also coordinating with the capture teams to investigate news about those bandits along the way.

  These young men were all originally vagrants, so doing this was not a concern for them. Only Zhou Heng had never been a vagrant, but his family wasn't wealthy either. After being instructed by Gao Huaiyuan, the group felt both excited and curious, after all they were still young and their innocence hadn't faded yet, thinking that this thing was actually quite fun. They rummaged through some tattered clothes in the old mansion, tore them apart to make them even more tattered, didn't care if they fit or not, put them on, then grabbed a handful of ash from the furnace and smeared it on their faces, immediately restoring their original appearance before coming to the Gao's house. They wrapped their original clothes in a piece of cloth, slung them over their shoulders, and left the Gao's house with laughter, two by two, three by three, heading towards Bao'an Town. If anyone said they didn't look like little beggars, that would be truly divine!

  Xing Captor was deeply impressed by Gao Huaiyuan's suggestions and followed them to the letter. He felt that this was the right way to investigate a case, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed of his own previous methods. With a group of loud and boisterous constables, they would shout and yell along the way, scaring off any potential suspects before they even had a chance to catch them. It wasn't that Xing didn't know about the benefits of plainclothes investigation, it's just that he was used to making a big show of things, which only served to intimidate the local rascals. But when it came down to it, his usual way of doing things had actually become a hindrance.

  So after Gao Huaiyuan asked them about the details of their investigation and pointed out to them, it made Xing Buzhang and his men feel a bit embarrassed. As a result, they all restrained themselves this time and followed Xing Buzhang's orders to disguise themselves before setting off on their separate ways.

  Gao Huaiyuan chose Bao'an Town as the first stop, not without reason. There are two reasons: Firstly, Bao'an Town is where the evil people first appeared, and Qianjiazhuang is just south of Bao'an Town. Secondly, Bao'an Town is close to Nangzi Lake, where the two captured girls went missing, so it's likely that the lair of the evil people is near Bao'an Town, or even more specifically, possibly in the Nangzi Lake area.

  Moreover, from the perspective of the regions where the evil-doers committed crimes in the past, although these bandits changed their location after each crime, there was still some pattern to be found. After analyzing the overall situation, it can be discovered that most of the crimes were committed in the northwest direction of Daye County. Therefore, Gao Huiyuan analyzed the situation with his experience from his previous life and Xue Yan's help, and finally focused on the main suspicious location in the area west of Bao'an Town.

  Along the way, Gao Huaiyu didn't rush, and together with Xing Boutu, they walked and stopped, encountering roadside tea sheds, where they would stop to drink a cup of tea, casually inquiring about business, chatting with travelers or old farmers inside the tea shed, and incidentally mentioning some things about the recent events involving the bandits in Daye County, stirring up people's discussions, trying to gather some information from their conversations.

  But all the way, it was a complete loss, at most just heard some endless rumors, Gao Huaiyuan tried to dig out something from these rumors, but finally had to give up, because what happened in the mouths of ordinary people, after being passed down for a period of time, became a myth.

  Xing caught the head because there was nothing to discover, and as he walked, his expression became more and more depressed. To be sure, his pressure was not small. For this kind of thing, the top was limited by time to solve the case. If it couldn't be solved within the prescribed time, then he wouldn't think about doing it again.

  "Brother Xing, don't worry, those bandits are not gods after all. As long as they commit a crime, they will definitely leave behind some clues. If we are patient, we will surely capture them and eliminate the harm to the people!" Gao Huairen walked over to comfort the gloomy Captain Xing.

  "Thank you, Young Master Gao. It's all because of my incompetence that the brothers had to go through so much trouble. If I had followed your advice from the beginning, we would have caught those bandits long ago! Now, I still need to bother Young Master Gao to come out with us, and Xing Mou is truly ashamed!" Captain Xing sighed and thanked Gao Huaiyuan.

  "Brother Xing, why say such things? It should be Gao's duty to eliminate harm for the people. Brother Xing doesn't need to be polite with me, it would be my honor if I can help you! Let's not think too much about it, we'll head to Bao'an Town first and see what news others have gathered!" Gao Hua Yuan said politely.

  Three men drove a mule cart, laughing and chatting all the way to Bao'an Town. After being comforted by Gao Huaiyuan, Xing's mood improved greatly, and he talked about some of the human feelings and worldly affairs he knew, allowing Gao Huaiyuan to gain a deeper understanding of some things in official circles.

  After they arrived at Bao'an Town, they temporarily stayed in an inn. Then Xing Du and Gao Huaiyuan parted ways to ask for information from their respective contacts.

  After nightfall, Gao Huaiyuan and Xing Boutu met again in the inn. After letting Xue Yan guard the door outside, Gao Huaiyuan made a fist and smiled at Xing Boutu: "Congratulations, Brother Xing! Things seem to be taking shape!"

  Xing caught his head and heard a happy voice, and hurriedly asked: "What's the matter? My people over there haven't found anything yet!"

  Gao Huaiyuan sat down and started talking while eating: "This is the advantage of being young, my young guards disguised as beggars can walk all the way here without anyone paying attention to them, so they can gather more information than us. This matter has made progress mainly because two of them met two people at the south of the town, who seemed to have drunk a lot and bought a lot of food, and were leaving Bao'an Town towards Niangzi Lake.

  Because they didn't pay attention to these two servants of mine, their conversation was a bit unguarded and inadvertently revealed things that shouldn't be said. They talked about going out again in a few days to do another job, and some other nonsense like "the young lady is quite tasty". My people overheard them, so I started paying attention to them.

  These two men are not locals, one of whom has his face covered with hair. After careful observation, it is found that this man has tattoos on his face and looks like a soldier. Moreover, both of them have hidden objects on their bodies, which doesn't seem to be anything good. It's possible that they might be related to those thieves!

  "My man has already secretly followed them, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, they will probably bring back news. Brother Xing, you should still rest assured and wait here for a day to see if the news they bring back is useful!"

  Things often turn out to be so coincidental, because the people who were with Gao Huaiyuan were all young boys dressed up as beggars, so ordinary people wouldn't pay attention to them when they spoke. As a result, they had just arrived in Bao'an Town and ran into those two guys, things went smoothly, making Gao Huaiyuan feel surprised.

  Xing Butou was overjoyed after hearing the news, and repeatedly thanked Gao Huaiyuan. After chatting for a while, they finished their meal and rested separately without mentioning it again.

  It wasn't until the second night that Fei Wenlong brought a young man to the inn, after waiting for a whole day.

  Gao Huaiyuan heard a commotion at the entrance of the inn, immediately came out of his room and walked towards the entrance. As it happened, he saw Fei Wenlong and another young man arguing with the inn's servant.

  The young innkeeper was about to close up shop when he saw two little beggars trying to sneak into their inn, so he reached out and blocked them, wanting to drive them out of the inn. As a result, Fei Wenlong got into an argument with this young innkeeper.

  "Hey, don't make it difficult for them, they're here to see me, let them in!" Gao Huaiyuan immediately spoke out to instruct the young servant, while taking out a few large coins and stuffing them into the servant's hand.

  The little servant saw that someone had responded, and seeing Gao Huaiyuan, although he was not very old, his demeanor was extraordinary. Adding to the reward money, he didn't even fart, and hurriedly stepped aside, letting Fei Wenlong and others enter the inn.

  After Gao Huaiyuan brought Fei Wenlong and the other back into the house, he closed the door. Xing Boutu immediately came over excitedly and hastily asked: "Young fellow, have you figured it out yet?"

  Fei Wenlong also had a joyful expression, and he hastily paid his respects to Gao Huaiyuan and Xing Buzhang, saying: "Congratulations, Captain Xing! Congratulations, young master! It's just as the young master expected - these thieves are indeed hiding in the mountains near Nanzihou Lake, and we've already found their lair!"

  Xing Boutu and Gao Hua Yuan were overjoyed, the smooth progress of things made them feel a bit unbelievable, as if they were listening to a storytelling session.

  "Tell me quickly, where are those thieves hiding? What's the specific situation?" Xing Bu Tou asked Fei Wen Long and others with great joy.

  "This matter should be left to Li Er Gou, this time the discovery of the thief is his credit, last night he followed the thief and found their lair!" Fei Wen Long pushed out a young man from behind him.

  Li Erdou normally looks dull and is not good at talking, can be said to be a person who can't fart even if he tries his best with three legs, but in daily life, he is actually the one who can endure the most hardships. After Fei Wenlong pushed him forward, he bowed his head and saluted Gao Huaiyuan before speaking: "They are around Chenjiamen near Nangzi Lake, about twenty or thirty people, very cautious, with boats, very cunning!"

  Li Erdou spoke simply, but roughly made clear the situation of those thieves. Xing Bao and Gao Hua yuan both understood his words, and looked at each other with a smile.

  Now that they knew where the thieves were hiding, things became easier. There was no point in staying in Bao'an Town anymore. So, Gao Huaiyuan and Xing Butou asked Li Erdou again and found out that these thieves were indeed old hands. No wonder they couldn't be found. It turned out that these people usually hid in the mountains by the lake and even had a small boat hidden by the lake, ready to escape by water at any time. They also left a secret signal outside the yard, which showed how cunning these guys were.

  After figuring out these things, Xing Baozhu couldn't sit still anymore. After discussing with Gao Hua Yuan, they decided to rush to Niangzi Lake overnight, check the situation there, wait for an opportunity to take action and capture this group of thieves.

  Gao Huaiyuan did not object, and he wanted to settle this matter as soon as possible. He had many things to do, so he nodded in agreement, then brought Xue Yan, Fei Wenlong and others with him, settled the accounts overnight, and quietly left the inn. They met Zhou Huan and a group of young men in a broken temple on the east side of the town, and rushed to the banks of Nangzi Lake overnight.

  After daybreak, Xing Boutu and Gao Hua yuan's group arrived at the Chenjiamen area near Nangzi Lake where the thieves were hiding. In order not to alarm them, everyone hid in the reeds by the lake, keeping a distant watch on the thieves' lair in the small hill of Chenjiamen.

  After investigating the terrain and the old mansion, both Xing Duozhang and Gao Huiyuan got a headache. According to Li Er'gou's account, there were at least twenty or thirty bandits, who hid in the old mansion in the valley all day long and never came out. The mansion was surrounded by a high wall, making it impossible to see what was inside. They had no idea how the bandits were arranged inside, and even if they launched a strong attack, the high wall would cause them great trouble. If the enemy defended themselves against the wall, it could lead to significant casualties among their men.

  And next to the old mansion, not far away, there is a bay. Once the thieves are startled and abandon the old mansion to escape, they can quickly run to the water's edge, board a boat and flee into the lake. If the thieves escape into the lake, the surface of the lake is vast, with numerous bays and inlets for them to hide or escape. At that time, even if one or two thousand soldiers are summoned, it may not be possible to catch them again!

  After careful observation, Gao Huaiyuan discovered with his keen eyesight that there were also two or three people guarding the water bay. If he wanted to sneak out of the mansion, he would be discovered by these people, not to mention the hidden stakes they hadn't found yet. This was indeed a tricky situation!

  "To hell with that! We'll just kill our way through, they're bandits and we're officials. Only they should be afraid of us, how can we be afraid of them? Hurry up and capture these bandits, avenge Old Three for me!" Li Laoliu was a roughneck, after finding the bandit's lair, he couldn't hold back, lowering his voice to say to Xing the captain.

  "You're a pig! We can't just rush in like this, even if we can catch them or not. If they also have bows and crossbows, we won't even make it to the gate before being shot full of holes. You want to die? Can't let our brothers die with you too! Get out of the way, let me think!" Xing the captain scolded Li Laoliu in a low voice.

  Li Laoliu was scolded by him, immediately shut his mouth and didn't speak, honestly squatting on one side, with a reed in his mouth to vent his anger.

  Gao Huaiyuan smiled slightly and didn't say a word, casually weaving a reed hat and putting it on his head. He stretched his neck again to look in the direction of the bandits' lair.

  "Otherwise, we can send someone to Bao'an Town to find the local elders and bring some strong men over. With more people, it will be easier to handle things. Now our manpower is not enough, and if we act rashly, we'll be in the open while the thieves are in hiding, who knows if we won't suffer a loss!" At this time, Zhang Liang also spoke up to suggest to Xing Baozhu.

  Xing caught his head, hesitated for a moment, and his expression was somewhat tense. These people were all dragging their families, and if they died, although the county government would give some consolation, that little consolation was far from enough to let their families live a stable life in the second half of their lives. He still wanted to be more secure, after all, catching thieves and bandits was a job that looked windy at ordinary times, but sometimes it could also cost his life.

  "I think this method is feasible, let's find more people to come and help, it's not bad after all. This place is a bit easy to defend but hard to attack, and our manpower is indeed a bit insufficient. Moreover, we don't know if the enemy has any powerful backers. Why don't you go and run an errand, Zhang Liang? Go to Bao'an Town to ask the village elder to gather some militiamen to come and help?" Xing the captain's mind was stirred up.

  "Inappropriate..." Gao Huaiyuan suddenly said.